Crack identification in rods and beams under uncertain boundary conditions

This paper deals with the inverse problem of identifying a crack in a rod in axial vibration with partially unknown end conditions from a minimum number of resonant frequency variations. It is assumed that the crack is small and is modelled by an elastic spring acting along the rod axis. A first set of results concerns a uniform bar with both ends restrained by means of elastic springs having unknown flexibility. Under the hypothesis that the flexibility caused by the crack is small and of the same order of the flexibility of the elastic end constraints, it is shown that the inverse problem can be formulated in terms of the variations of the first three natural frequencies measured from the undamaged bar under ideal condition of fixed ends. It is proved that knowledge of this set of eigenfrequency variations can uniquely determine the overall flexibility induced by the end conditions, and the position (up to symmetry) and severity of the crack, by means of closed form expressions. The identification method can be also applied to axial vibrations of uniform cantilevers with elastically restrained end condition, and to transversely vibrating uniform beams either under elastic transverse support at both ends or under cantilever end conditions. The method was verified by numerical simulation and, in the case of the cantilever in bending vibration, by experimental data. Numerical analysis allowed to study in detail some singular situations occurring in the mathematical formulation of the inverse problem and to test the robustness of the method to errors on the data.